About 200,000 people in Nigeria, many of them children, lose their lives annually from food-related diseases, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, has said.

He said this during the launch of the food safety operational manual for food business operators, market, and street food vendors in Abuja, on Thursday.

Quoting the World Health Organization ( WHO) , he said over 600 million people globally fall ill each year due to food contamination, with Africa bearing the highest per capita burden.

Nnaji said the costs are not only human but also economic, with Nigeria losing an estimated $3.6 billion annually to foodborne illnesses through productivity loss, medical treatment, and trade limitations.

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He said the new manual speaks directly to these issues, adding that it provides a unified, science-based framework for local government food inspectors and safety desk officers, especially those working in open markets, street food environments, roadside kiosks, and informal food service

settings.

He said, ?These are the very spaces where Nigerians across all income levels turn to for their daily meals?and where risk is often greatest. From the unethical use of paracetamol to tenderize meat, to cassava fermentation with detergents, and adulteration of red oil and pepper with industrial dyes like Sudan IV, we are witnessing a quiet war against public health.

?These are not cultural missteps?they are criminal acts. And as explicitly provided under Sections 243 and 244 of Nigeria?s Criminal Code Act, the sale or distribution of toxic or harmful food is a punishable offence.?

He added that the consequences of such practices are devastating such as increased incidences of kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, cancers, and other debilitating non communicable diseases.

According to the minister, in the first quarter of 2025 alone, cholera claimed 378 lives, while Lassa fever infected over 3,500 Nigerians, with many cases linked to food contamination from rodents and poor hygiene.

?This must stop. And this manual is a significant step toward ensuring it does, ? he added .

The Coordinating Minister of health and social welfare , Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said recent studies by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) revealed that approximately 20% of hospital admissions in urban areas can be attributed to foodborne diseases.

Represented by Adeola Olufowobi-Yusuf, he said this figure exemplifies the country?s fight against foodborne illnesses and the importance of food scientists?innovators, and researchers, to support this public health priority.

He said the ministry in the last few years has been actively developing detailed national guidelines to support the advancement of food safety at sub-national levels.

He said, ?Working in close collaboration with state governments, these guidelines will be tailored to address local challenges, ensuring that every community benefits from robust and effective food safety measures.?

The Chief executive officer of the Nigerian Council for Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST), Nkechi Veronica Ezeh, said the launch of the policy document is particularly significant because the operational manual is the first of its kind in Nigeria.

She said it is a comprehensive and critical missing tool that will guide the food safety desk officers in controlling, regulating, and monitoring food safety practices at all Nigerian local government market and street shops, kiosks, restaurants, bakeries, and other places for sale of food to the public in line with chapter 8 of the Fourth Schedule of Nigerian constitution which outlines the functions of local government councils.

(Daily trust)

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